BYU Bench, Inside Play The Difference Against Pepperdine

Deven McCann | BYU Athletic Communications | Posted Jan 2, 2003

Center Rafael Araujo led BYU in scoring for the third straight game against Pepperdine, totaling his second double-double of the year with 19 points and 11 rebounds in 21 minutes. (Photo by Mark Philbrick/BYU Photo)

PROVO -- BYU turned on the second-half jets once again to blow past Pepperdine 84-68, earning its 42nd consecutive home win. With the win the Cougars improved to 10-2 on the season, while the Waves fell to 8-5.

Following a Pepperdine 7-0 run to tie the score just after the break, BYU went on a 26-3 run to blow the game wide open at 65-43.

BYU dominated the game with its inside presence. BYU outscored the Wave 50-12 in the paint. Center Rafael Araujo was high scorer for the third consecutive game with 19 points and 11 rebounds in just 21 minutes.

"We took advantage of our strengths by getting the ball inside," said BYU head coach Steve Cleveland. "We had the inside game going tonight--no question."

Travis Hansen added 17 points and grabbed six rebounds. Shoff finished the game with a career-high 15 points in 12 minutes.

In the first half, Pepperdine took a 25-23 lead with just over four minutes left in the first half. BYU looked to its bench.

Lemes and Shoff scored all 16 points of a 16-7 Cougar run to closeout the half giving BYU the lead at 37-30.

Shoff powered the ball inside to score 10 points in just five first half minutes. Lemes added two treys to spark the Cougars, while running the point against the Pepperdine full-court pressure.

Jimmy Miggins led the Waves with 16 points. Alex Acker added 15 and Mike Westphal chipped in 11, including three treys.

BYU just wore us down in the paint," said Pepperdine head coach Paul Westphal. "Our plan was to contain them inside and gamble with their three-point shooters, but we couldn't contain them inside for forty minutes."